LTNs: “Publish the evidence and listen to residents”, say Lambeth Lib Dems

Lambeth Liberal Democrats are calling on the Council to publish data every two weeks on air quality, bus journey times, and school lateness, during the Streatham Wells Low-Traffic Neighbourhood trial.

Lib Dems warned Lambeth Council twelve months ago – in their response to the authority’s Air Quality Action Plan – about the way LTNs are being introduced.

They say Lambeth does not gather sufficient independent data on their efficacy and ignores residents within and around the affected zones.

In a letter addressed to the Leader of Lambeth Council, Councillor Donna Harris, Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrats, this week says, “The new Streatham Wells LTN has, unfortunately, seen many of the concerns we forewarned the Council about twelve months ago become a reality.”

The Streatham Wells LTN, which came into force on Monday 23rd October, has been the subject of fierce discussion in the local community.

Residents have reported gridlock on Leigham Court Road, Streatham High Road, and Streatham Common North, with buses and emergency vehicles unable to get through traffic.

In the letter, Cllr Donna Harris says that “local authorities have to ensure they implement the right measures: in the right place, at the right time, with the right signage, led by the right evidence.”

The Lib Dems have asked the Council to provide air quality monitoring data, gathered by independent experts, before the implementation of the LTN and for every two weeks since the LTN came into force.

They have also asked for TfL data on bus journey times in both directions covering:

Telford Avenue to Streatham Station (on routes 118, 133 and 159)

Telford Avenue to Norbury Station (on routes 109 and 250)

Criffel Avenue to Norbury Station (on route 50)

Telford Avenue to Leigham Court Road/Streatham Common North (on route 417)

Crown Point / Beulah Hill to Streatham Station (on route 249)

Streatham / St Leonard’s Church to West Norwood (on route 315)

Streatham Hill to St Leonard’s (on routes P13, 57, 201, and 333)

In addition, the Lib Dems have requested a record of the average weekly incidences of lateness by staff and pupils of Bishop Thomas Grant, Julian’s School, Dunraven School, Maypole School and Livity School before and after the LTN was implemented.

To understand the impact on local schools and students, the Lib Dems have already reached out to local headteachers in the affected area.

This proactive engagement, they argue, should be mirrored by the Council to identify necessary adjustments to make the LTN a success.

In a recent consultation about another LTN, in Streatham Hill, the majority of residents within the zone (57.4%) said that they did not believe the introduction of the LTN had been a positive change.

Over half of respondents also disagreed that it had made their area a better place to live and that it had not made it easier for them to go to local shops and services or to visit friends and family. Despite this, no substantive changes to traffic management were made within the zone following the consultation.

Commenting, Cllr Donna Harris, Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrats, said:

“Lambeth’s approach to these traffic schemes is just to tell people what they think is a great idea and to get on with it.

“If they are to have any hope of re-establishing trust on this issue, they must publish transparent, independently gathered data on air quality, bus journey times, and the impacts on schools.

“Transparency of this kind is the best and only way to ensure that debate proceeds on the strength of hard facts.

“The Council should then be prepared to change course where the evidence demands it.”

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